#flannelgraph

Mike Adams At His Honest Weight Best of Boiler Room Classics Flannelgraph Records, 2014

When you grow up in the northeast it’s always a shock to travel and see how good natured the rest of the country is. I wouldn’t say that most of the people I come in contact with on a daily basis are bad people, they’re just conditioned to not be bothered with the happiness of others. Unfortunately, I think this also partially sums me up. The Midwest is another animal all together. It’s the kind of place where people that don’t know you will throw a party to greet you. It’s the kind of place where strangers are as genuine as they come and kindness is like a warm blanket that they spread around their visitors. Bloomington Indiana is a great example of this, it’s also where I met Mike Adams.

Sometimes I think the best influence on your creativity is the small community that you curate. Best of Boiler Room Classics is the kind of record that happens and you’re never lucky enough to hear about. Whereas Adams’ previous project Husband & Wife was a downtrodden and sparse indie rock project, his solo material has the sunny disposition of Pet Sounds with just as much lyrical density. Of course it’s still indie at heart, but it’s sly mix of intentional lo-fi and classic pop structure makes Boiler Room close to transcendent.